Imitation of Rafael Nadal's famous bottle placement ritual by Benoit Paire at a nightclub resurfaces; Frenchman reacts hilariously

Benoit Paire was left amused after his hilarious imitation of Rafael Nadal’s on-court bottle placement routine resurfaced on social media.

Nadal has become well-known for his on-court superstitions. The Spaniard’s unique serving ritual and his fixation on the placement of his bottles on the court have managed to generate immense interest among fans over the years.

His rituals have also previously been imitated by his colleagues, including Novak Djokovic and Nick Kyrgios. Recently, a video featuring Benoit Paire at a nightclub made rounds on social media. The former World No. 18 could be seen doing his impression of the former World No. 1, adjusting bottles of alcohol instead.

"Me too @rafaelnadal I put my bottles back!!!!" he had written on his video story (translated from French).

The Frenchman noticed the video and reacted humorously.

Benoit Paire is currently contesting the Pau challenger event in France, where he is through to the second round.

The Frenchman previously admitted to his mental health struggles and the overuse of alcohol. In hopes of renewed success, Paire trained at Rafael Nadal’s academy in Mallorca at the tail end of 2022. He witnessed a significant turnaround in 2023, as he featured in four challenger finals, winning two of them in Puerto Vallarta and San Benedetto.

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"I don't know if it's positive or negative, but it works for me" – What Rafael Nadal said about his on-court rituals

The Spaniard pictured at the 2021 Monte-Carlo Masters

Rafael Nadal has often addressed his on-court rituals and occasionally admitted that he would be better off without them.

In a 2022 press conference, the Spaniard said:

"I believe that the fewer weird things to do to focus, the better. And I say that then when I have particularly marked rituals when I play. I'd much rather not do them."

The 22-time Grand Slam champion explained that his rituals are a consequence of him trying to zero in on the task at hand on the tennis court.

"That doesn't sound like an excuse, but tennis is a mentally aggressive sport, demands a lot of you at all times; the slightest mistake sends you home," he said in the press conference. "You have to find a way to be 100% focused, without being distracted by outside things."

"Generally, I am a focused person," he continued. "I don't know if it's positive or negative, but it works for me to have rituals. When I train, I don't have rituals, but competition gives me this security and isolation."

Rafael Nadal is currently gearing up to resume his 2024 comeback campaign, having spent most of 2023 on the sidelines due to a hip injury.

The 37-year-old kicked off his campaign at the 2024 Brisbane International, where he reached the quarterfinals. He then pulled out of the tournaments that followed, including the Australian Open, due to a muscle tear.

The Spaniard will next be in action at the highly-anticipated “Netflix Slam” alongside compatriot Carlos Alcaraz on March 3. He is then scheduled to participate in the Masters 1000 event in Indian Wells.